Fruit-picker&#39;s ladder.



PATENTED OCT. 15, 1907.

E. HAY-00X.

FRUIT PICKERS LADDER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 22. 1907.

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EDWARD HAYCOX, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

FRUIT-PICIGERS LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application filed July 22,1907. Serial No. 384,997.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD HAYCOX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Fruit-Pickers Ladder; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to step ladders, and particularly to ladders for the use of fruit pickers or the like.

The object of my invention is the provision of a simple and highly efficient article of. this class which is provided with an endless belt or apron that is guided around portions of the ladder and carries bags or pockets adapted to be filled with fruit when at the upper portion of the ladder and then moved down adjacent the bottom portion of the ladder in position to be emptied of their contents by a child or other attendant, the said bags or pockets being so positioned relative to each other that when one is in emptying position another is in filling position, thus enabling both operations to be carried on at the same time.

The invention is fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a step ladder embodying the features of my invention with a portion of one of the side bars of the supporting-frame broken away, and Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the ladder proper of my invention, and 2 the supporting-frame, the side pieces of which are hinged in any suitable manner to the outer ends of arms 3, 3, which project rearwardly from the upper ends of the ladder sides, as

shown.

Jomnaled in the sides of the supporting-frame 2 are the upper spool or roller 4 and the lower roll 5, around which intermediate the frame sides passes an endless belt or apron 6. This belt or apron carries a plurality of pockets or bags 7, three being shown in the drawing, which pockets or bags are so relatively positioned that one stands at the rear side of the frame 2 adjacent its top in position to be filled when another is at the rear side of the frame near its limit of downward movement in position to be emptied of its contents by a child or other attendant. Each pocket or bag 7 is provided at its sides near its top with straps 8, which are adapted to engage with pins 9 projecting from the sides of the arms 3, 3 of the ladder to prevent a movement of the apron when a bag is being filled.

The supporting-frame 2 may be provided with rungs 10 to adapt it, when separated from the part 1, to be used as a ladder. A separation of the two ladder parts may be easily accomplished by removing the bolts, which secure one of the arms 3 to the part 1, thus enabling the trunnions of the roll 5, which are shown in the drawings as being journaled in said arms, to be withdrawn therefrom.

It is apparent that my apparatus provides a simple and practical means for receiving and lowering fruit after it has been picked, and that by its use fruit-picking will be greatly facilitated and expedited, and the liability of bruising the fruit reduced to a minimum.

1 wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction and arrangement of the parts shown and described, as obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A stepdadder having its support equipped with an endless apron carrying a bag or pocket into which fruit may be placed at a predetermined elevation and lowered from such elevation.

2. The combination with a ladder having its ladderpart provided at its top with rearwardly extending arms and its support hinged to said arms in spaced relation to the ladder part, of an endless apron operating around a part of the support and carrying fruit-receiving pockets, substantially as described.

3. In combination a step-ladder having its support hinged in spaced relation to its ladder part and provided at its top and near its bottom with rollers, an endless belt operating around said rollers and having a plurality of fruit-receiving pockets.

4. In association with a step-ladder, an endless belt movable around a part of the same and carrying fruitreceiving pockets, and means carried by the pockets and adapted to coiiperate with the ladder frame to hold the belt against movement.

5. In combination a ladder having its ladder part provided at its top with rearwardly extending arms and its support hinged to said arms in spaced relation to the ladder part, an endless belt movable around a part of the support and carrying fruit-receiving pockets, pins project ing from the arms, and straps carried by the pockets adapted to engage the pins to hold the belt stationary.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD HAYCOX.

Witnesses C. W. OWEN, CORNELL Sennnrnnn. 

